Land of my Fathers

VAMBA SHERIF

Category: Historical Fiction

Buy EBOOK

ABOUT LAND OF MY FATHERS

ABOUT VAMBA SHERIF

The proud Republic of Liberia was founded in the 19th century with the triumphant return of the freed slaves from America to Africa.

The proud Republic of Liberia was founded in the 19th century with the triumphant return of the freed slaves from America to Africa. Once back ‘home’, however, these Americo-Liberians had to integrate with the resident tribes – who did not want or welcome them. Against a background of French and British colonialists busily carving up Mother Africa, while local tribes were still unashamedly trading in slaves . . . the vulnerable newcomers felt trapped and out of place. Where men should have stood shoulder to shoulder, they turned on each other instead.

Land of My Fathers plunges us into this world. But in the midst of turmoil, there is friendship. Edward Richard, a man born into slavery and a preacher by profession, is convinced that the future of Liberia lies in bringing peace amongst the tribes. His mission takes him to the far north, where he meets an extraordinary man, Halay. Edward’s new and dearest friend is ready to sacrifice his own life to protect his country; for the Liberians believe that with Halay’s death, no war will ever threaten their land. A century later, this belief is crushed when war engulfs the land, bearing away with it the descendants of both Edward and Halay. The story of Halay is the untold story of Liberia. What he did would come to stand as symbol of man's ability to defy the odds, to face the inevitable head on.

VAMBA SHERIF is an author, journalist and film critic living in the Netherlands. Born in Kolahun, Liberia in 1973, he moved to Kuwait in his early teens where he completed secondary school. At the outbreak of the first Gulf War he left Kuwait to settle first in Damascus, Syria, and then in the Netherlands, where he read Law before becoming a journalist, writer andfilm critic. His passions include music of every kind, film and the collection of rare books on Africa. His books include: Bound to Secrecy, The Kingdom of Sebah, The Witness and The Black Napoleon.

Interview with Vamba

Robtel Neajai Pailey interviews Vamba Sherif for the UK launch of the English translation of his first novel written in Dutch, Land of My Fathers. Full interview >

REVIEWS

ABOUT LAND OF MY FATHERS

'Vamba Sherif's evocative tale of freed slaves in Liberia is a powerful historical novel... Land of My Fathers is a profoundly evocative, engaging as a narrative...’
Emily Garside - Buzz Magazine full review >

'This admirable novel from one of Liberia’s foremost writers is certainly ambitious in scope, beginning shortly after the establishment of the Liberian state by freed American slaves in the 19th century and taking us right up to the recent strife in that country.'